Folding shower-bath



'Unire STATES GEORGE WOODS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FOLDING SHOWEBfBATI-I.

To aZZ whom t may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE VVooDs, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements inI Portable Shower'- Baths, and that the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings hereinafter referred to, forms a full and exact specific-ation of the same, wherein I have set forth the nature and principles of my said improvements, by which my invention may be distinguished from others of a similar class, together with such parts as I claim and desire to have secured to me by Letters Patent.

The principal objection to the several kinds of square or rectangular portable shower baths, which have recently been introduced into general use, is that they occupy too large a space in a room, generally from two to three feet square, and being higher than most of the usual articles of furniture in a room they make an awkward and ungainly appearance.

My improvements entirely obviates this objection and it consists in such an arrangement of the sides and bottom and showering pan, that they may be folded up, as it were, when the apparatus is not in use, and thereby occupy a space only about eight or ten inches in width, from the wall against which the back of the bath may be set.

The figures of the accompanying plate of drawings represent my improved portable bath.

Figure l, is a front elevation. Fig. 2 is a plan when the bath is closed or folded up. Fig. 3, is a similar view when it is opened or unfolded. Fig. 4, is a section taken in the plane of the line A B Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a section takenin the plane of the line C D Fig. 2, and Fig. 6 is a sect-ion taken in the plane of the line E F Fig. 3.

aa a a Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, is the back of the bath which is framed together and secured to the base of the bath as shown in Fig. 6, and said back should be covered on the exterior by oiled cloth or some other suitable fabric which is impervious to water.

Z) Zn-b are two permanent jambs, made of wood and permanently secured to the back a a. a a on each side of the same (as shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5) and to the base m To the front edge of the j amb b b is hinged the front side or door c e of the bath, which joints with the same.

:has on its top a molding j j, which is cut so ras to t oppositely with the molding on the top of the jambs b b-b b and make close There are two remaining sides to the bath viz. CZ UZ and c e,

Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, G, which are hinged together frames of wood, which like the back should be covered with some substance or fabric impermeable to water.

f f' is the bottom or foot basin of the bath, which is hinged to the bottom of the back a a: a a as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, so as to be turned up when not in use into the position denoted in the last named figure and to the front of this bottom f f is hinged the support g Figs. 4 and 5 which drops down, and forms a support for said front when the bath is open.

The showering pan z, Figs. 4, 5, 6 to two arms z' 'Z Figs. 3, 4, 5 which arms are hinged to the top rail k of the vertical sliding frame Ze k Z Fig. 6, which frame moves up and down in suitable grooves on the inside of the jambs b Z -Z 5 as shown at m-m, &c., Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, and by being thus hinged to the said sliding frame, the showering pan it may be turned up when the bath is closed into the vertical position shown in Fig. 5, and when the bath is open for use, said pan is supported in the horizontal position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 by means of the diagonal supporter n one end of which is secured to the showering pan so as to turn freely, while the other end rests in a step in the lower rail, Z, of the sliding frame 7c 1c Z see Figs. 4 and 6.

The sliding frame with the pan is supported at each end by a cord o 0-0 0, one end of each of said cords being secured to the frame; from thence the cords pass over a pulley or hook p in each corner of the bath, while the other end of each of said cords is secured to the rectangular weight g g, which extends across the back of the bath and moves in suitable grooves on the -j ambs b ZD-b Z2 as shown at r-r Figs. 2 and 3. This weight nearly counterbalances that of the showering apparatus when it has been filled after being lowered for the purpose, and by a little force exerted on said weight the apparatus may be raised to any convenient height.

The showering pan h is made with two bottoms, one plain as shown at t t, With a valve u at its center, and the other perforated as shown at v o. The valve u, is operated by the bent lever w and string y y to which the hand is applied, and when said valve is closed and the showering pan is pulled down sufliciently low it may be used as a Wash-basin.

The sides l cl and e e When the bath is extended or opened to its greatest compass are secured by hooks or bolts to t-he corners of the foot basin f f, and in order to close the bath so that it Will occupy the smallest compass, the showering pan'ky and foot basin f f are first turned up vertically into the position above described and shown in Fig. 5 and then the side e e is folded or turned flat against the inner surface of the side CZ Z and the two are turned inward against the underside of the pan 7L and basin' f f, and the front or door c c is closed upon the Whole, the hinged sill s 1e' Fig. l, being turned up under the door c c to complete the iinish, &c.

Having thus described my improvements, I shall state my claim as follows:

What I claim as my invention and desire to have secured to me by Letters Patent is- A portable shower bath constructed so as to fold up and occupy a small space substantially as herein above described, that is to say by having the showering pan h and foot basin f f so hinged as to turn up vertically when not in use, and the tWo sides d d and e e so hinged as to close in upon the same While the door c c closes upon the Whole',VV all as'above set fort-h. y

In testimony that the foregoing is a true description of my said invention and improvements I have hereto set my signature this thirtieth day of March in the year 1847.

GEORGE WOODS. Witnesses:

EZRA LINCOLN, Jr., NAT. D. HUBBARD. 

